The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-12
BIG TAX ON WINE ROOMS.
The Senate Passes the Bill by Vote
of 20 to IA

49,
ATLANTA, GA, Aug. 11.-Il the Senate
to-day the House bill imposing a tax of
$4,000 on dealers in domestic wines was
the special order. The debate had been so
protracted in the House, and the Senate
majority in its favor so large, that it was
put on its passage with little debate and
little interest. The bill was slightly amend
ed in the Senate committee and was only
further amended to-day by extending its
provisions to wines made from grapes or
berries purchased by manufacturers. Mr..
Pringe, in support of the bill, said when
the local option bill was adopted chat 1t was
not thought wrong to allow persons
to deal in domestic wines.
Since then new question has
came up as to what is domestic, and the
courts hold il to mean any wines manufac-
tured in the United States, and dealers make
it mean anything made in the United States
or anywhere else and so the local option
law has been violated. 1t will not be long
before domestic wines will mean anything
made on the earth, so it is labeled ''do-
nestle wine" We want the local option
law carried out, not violated. This bill
seeks to sustain the law and prevent viola
ton of it. He has seen changes of votes III
the House and Senate.
A PUBLIC QUESTION.
Every Senator should ask himself this
question: "Do | simply represent my coun-
ty, or district, or tho State of Georgiaf" 1t
is public question, and every Senator is
interested i'll it, for his county, his district
and his State. Look into IT, If there is
more good in it than evil vote for it. We
are bound to do so under our oath of Office.
Mr.. Pringle here read the oath of office taken
by the Senators. If he believed three of
five provisions in any bill were good he
oil tn ,-D4c l,1lI Hn
had seen men vote against bill which they
favored because little amendment pro
posed by them was voted down.
He had nothing against the wine dealer, and
would not abuse the drunkard. He would
not vote for bill to punish the drunkard.
He understood such bill was pending in
the House He would raise his voice
against iuch bill from principle
He would not abuse the moderate drinker,
but would warn him of his danger, and tell
him these laws are being passed for his ben
eft. Indeed he would prefer to vote for a
pTohibitory law, as it would prevent mod
crate drinkers from becoming drunkards.
The traffic in strong drink and this modern
domestic wine is an unmitigated evil
PROHIBITION THE REMEDY.
This needs no argument, and it needs no
argument to show that prohibition is the
remedy for the evil. 1t is not necessary to
crimes caused by strong drink. The contin-
uance of these wine rooms will do its share
toward filling the jails with criminals. the
penitentiary with convicts and the asy
lum with lunatics. The State loses mil
lions annually by the traffic in
strong drink The city of Atlanta alone
spent 81, 100000 annually We want
to put down this evil. The eyes of the peo-
pie are upon this Senate to see if the Sen
a n hnir 1tHfN HhAr
prayers going up to the God of Heaven
that the Senators will stand firm and give
the people the law. 1t means better
schools, better churches, and a wiser and
happier people.
Mr.. Northcutt, of the Thirty-fifth district.
said Atlanta was most affected by the bill
and as the Senator from the district in
which Atlanta is situated he felt it his duty
to advocate the passage Of the bill and show
why the amendment should not be voted
down.
THE PEOPLE DECEIVED.
The people who voted whisky out have
been deceived and deluded The law is
being violated under the guise of domestic
wine. We never knew it was attended with
such harmful results. The citizens who
voted TO except domestic wine from the bill
had never heard of agaric and nerve tonic
He related story that when the Senator
from the Sixth district came to
Atlanta he brought a quantity
his wife with a view of selling it. When
he carried it to Atlanta dealers he found
that there was no demand for that kind of
domestic wine, and he still has it on hand
The people of Georgia are anxious that we
should crush out these wine rooms
The bill as amended passed by vote of
26 to IA.